The Captain's Life
by AdmiralKathryn
Summary: Yet again another first for me. This one was written two years ago and it was when I had forst started watching VOY. It is not meant to be taken seriously but only for fun. Enjoy!


Disclaimer: Yeah, more Voyager stories. Do you think D.C. Fontana will get mad at me? J/K. This story is not to be taken seriously. It is just for fun. Well, here's my latest to add to the collection. Enjoy!  
  
1 The Captain's Life  
  
As she looked out the window in her quarters, Kathryn Janeway thought of what she might have had back home with her fiancé Mark had she not accepted the position on Voyager.  
  
"Bridge to Janeway," her combadge signaled, interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Janeway here," she replied after tapping the device worn on her shirt.  
  
"Captain, three unidentified ships are dropping out of warp on starboard side. Your presence is required on the bridge."  
  
"On my way, Janeway out."  
  
Ah the life of a captain is never done, she thought to herself. I wouldn't trade it for anything else though.  
  
She stepped into the Turbolift.  
  
"Bridge," she commanded. The Turbolift responded with its gentle hum. When she got to the bridge the doors opened with a rush of air.  
  
"Status report."  
  
"The three ships are now identified as Kadizians and they have held back at 100 kilometers. Weapons are powered but they do not seem to want to attack," came the report from Tuvok.  
  
"Mr. Kim, open a channel."  
  
"Channel open captain."  
  
Kathryn knew the Kadizians were well known for their jumping to conclusions and starting wars on false pretenses. She'd have to be careful about interrogating them.  
  
"Kadizian vessel, this is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. Please respond."  
  
Almost instantly, a humanoid woman appeared on the viewscreen. She had an elongated chin with ridges on it, and her skin had an orange tint.  
  
"Captain Janeway? I am Selma of the Kadizian vessel Researcher. Can I help you?"  
  
Be careful with your words Kathryn. Chakotay was wondering if Kathryn knew about the Kadizians jumping to conclusions.  
  
"We, my crew and I, were just curious as to why you are now targeting our ship with your weapons."  
  
"WHAT? You're accusing us of trying to kill you? Captain, you have made a grave mistake. This transmission ends now."  
  
Selma's face blinked off the screen. All Janeway and her bridge crew could see was three Kadizian ships moving into an attack formation.  
  
"Captain, they are targeting out shield generators and phaser banks," Tuvok said as calmly as he would have if they were trapped in a burning Voyager that was falling onto an asteroid.  
  
"Raise shields. Tom, evasive maneuvers. Tuvok, can you get a lock on their engines?"  
  
"Engines are locked onto the vessel."  
  
"Fire phasers."  
  
A bright flash appeared as soon as the phasers hit the engines. When she could see out the viewscreen again, she saw the Researcher floating dead. No engines would go. Not even impulse. The other two ships, upon the firing, had fled showing that the Kadizians really were only big chickens.  
  
Tom Paris, Voyagers best helmsman, knew what Captain Janeway would say next. After being out here for almost six years, he almost always knew what she'd order him to do next. He went to one-quarter impulse.  
  
"All engines are out, life support is stable, and what little shields they had are inoperative."  
  
Now Kathryn was really curious. It was a new species, and she couldn't wait to find out more.  
  
"I want a scan on that ship. Report everything. I'll be in the ready room. Chakotay, you have the bridge."  
  
She walked into the ready room and decided that it was way past overdue for a cup of coffee.  
  
"Mr. Neelix?"  
  
"Captain, I brewed a fresh pot and I am on my way up."  
  
"You know me too well Neelix. Janeway out," she said with a slight chuckle.  
  
Neelix was there within a matter of minutes pouring the dark, steamy liquid into a cup for her. Then he said he had to get back to dinner. Togasquash over boiled potatoes and Magaberry pie. Neelix left and Kathryn sipped the coffee, letting the bittersweet taste dance in her mouth.  
  
Chakotay walked into the ready room holding the information they had extracted from the Kadizian ship. Kathryn took it eagerly and began to scan it over quickly, smiling as she did so. Chakotay began explaining that the ships crew had ejected several escape pods. He also told her that the ship was now empty and they could safely send an away team over to explore.  
  
"Janeway to B'Elanna, Seven, Tom, and Harry. Meet me in transporter room four. Janeway out."  
  
"Captain, I must protest your going on this away mission. It might be dangerous and we can't afford to lose you."  
  
"Well Mr. Adventurous, you always go on the away missions and I get stuck on the bridge. It seems the tables are turning in my favor this time."  
  
In the transporter room, the away team was loading up on supplies and phasers. The captain had said she didn't know how long they'd be over on that ship.  
  
"Alright Ensign, energize."  
  
The away team dissolved in a silvery shimmery effect. Moments later, they were on the bridge of the Kadizian vessel. It was not unlike their own bridge but everything was decorated with orange and black. It was very depressing to the away team because Voyager was so colorful, well, at least they had better colors than orange and black.  
  
Kathryn walked over to a communications console and called Harry Kim over.  
  
"Mr. Kim, can you figure this out and establish contact with Voyager?"  
  
"I'll try captain, but I've never seen anything like this so it may take a little while."  
  
Being as it is right now, I wish that we would never have to leave this ship. It's so interesting and I wish Chakotay was here to see it. Hey! What did I just step in?  
  
Kathryn looked down and saw that she had stepped in a pile of dirty Kadizian clothing. In her travels around this ship, she must have lost track of where she was going. She tapped her combadge.  
  
"B'Elanna. Can you get a lock on me and do a site-to-site transport. I seem to be lost and I don't like where I am."  
  
"Where are you captain?" asked B'Elanna.  
  
"I…um.. I'd prefer not to say right now."  
  
"Okay captain. Stand by for transport."  
  
Almost immediately, Janeway was standing back on the bridge of the Kadizian vessel. Once, she thought she heard a noise but she convinced herself that she was imagining it. She decided to ask B'Elanna if she had heard it when she heard it again.  
  
"B'Elanna, did you hear that noise?"  
  
"No captain, I do not hear anything. Why?"  
  
"Oh, no reason. Just wondering, that's all."  
  
Back on Voyager, Chakotay could not establish communications with the away team. He ordered Lieutenant Kyle to put up a visual of the ship. But when Lt. Kyle went to put it up on the viewscreen, the ship wasn't there. He did a sweep of the area but the ship was nowhere to be found. It was very puzzling.  
  
"Janeway to Voyager," Captain Janeway couldn't establish contact with Voyager and B'Elanna nor Harry could fix it. All of a sudden on the bridge, a Kadizian child appeared out of thin air. She said her name was Nitasha and that she couldn't find her parents.  
  
The maternal instinct in Kathryn wanted to help this little girl so much, but, according to the Federation it would be a direct violation of the Prime Directive. If this girl's fate was to die, Kathryn couldn't interfere. But she was so young and helpless. Surely the Prime Directive could be bent.  
  
Stupid Prime Directive. Well, regardless of the Federation, I, Kathryn Janeway will help this little girl find her mother.  
  
"B'Elanna. Run a scan on the interior of the ship and see if the little girls mother is onboard."  
  
"Captain. That is impossible. I can't do it."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Captain, this ship is a hologram."  
  
Chakotay was furious when he found out that the ship was a hologram. But, in any case he was determined to get Kathryn and the away team back as soon as possible.  
  
"Tuvok. When is the next time frame the ship will appear in?"  
  
"The ship will reappear in approximately two minutes. Mark."  
  
"Okay, when it comes back see if you can lock onto the away team."  
  
"That will not be advisable Commander Chakotay. If you try to lock onto your away team the ship will disappear instantly and the team will go with it," came a husky voice. It was so vaguely familiar.  
  
Back on the ship, Kathryn and her away team were enjoying a leisurely lunch. Within the last minute she had told her away team that this was all a joke on Commander Chakotay to see how he handles emergencies. All the bridge officers were aware of it except him.  
  
"Okay, engage the beam."  
  
The engineers had come up with a way to transport the team out of there without the entity knowing.  
  
The ship reappeared onscreen.  
  
"Engage beam."  
  
The away team has been successfully transported to sickbay," said Tuvok.  
  
Tom was sitting in the helmsman's seat and he was giggling. Chakotay asked him what it was. Tom said he'd tell him later, he needed to go check on the away team right now.  
  
You never saw anyone run so fast to the sickbay. When he arrived, the away team and the Doctor were just chatting pleasantly and he almost killed someone.  
  
Kathryn explained that it had just been a teat and that everything was okay. Chakotay didn't take it too well, he was mad for a couple of days but he was glad when Kathryn said that she trusted her ship, her most prized possession, in his careful hands.  
  
1.1 Captain's Log: stardate 6857.5  
  
Well, I guess the captain's life is never done. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Maybe adventure, maybe horror. Whatever it is, this captain is ready. 


End file.
